Singing

I love singing!  My grandparents both loved singing.  They always encouraged their 10 children to sing, especially if they got to fussin' with each other.  My mom & her brothers & sisters all have a deep love of singing from this upbringing.

Some of my favorite memories are singings with my mom, aunts, uncles, cousins, Grandma, & Grandpa.  There weren't enough songbooks for everyone, so of course we shared, & many of us younger cousins didn't see one.  I am blessed to have hundreds of hymns memorized!

Having hymns memorized is like having scriptures in your memory.  There are so many times that a song pops into my head & brings encouragement, joy, & comfort.  Many times during worship, we sing a 'family favorite' & I can hear their voices.  My Grandma's sweet voice, Uncle Dick's beautiful bass, Aunts Millie & Barbara's blending together, & so many others.

The last few years of Grandma's life, she was stricken with Alzheimer's.  She lost many of her memories, but still knew how to sing her favorite hymns!

I've sung to my sons from the time they were born.  I sang while rocking them to sleep, while feeding them, while driving, & while playing.  I sang hymns, scriptures, children's songs, & made-up songs.  One of my sons used to hum when he ate for a few years after he started feeding himself.  Both of the boys love singing & music of all sorts!

Singing is such an important part of my life & I would be grieved if it was ever taken away.  These thoughts came to me Sunday towards the end of worship.  I observed one our sweet sisters at church; she has a progressive disease that makes it difficult to talk or sing.  She & her husband share a love of singing.  While she can no longer sing out the words, she was smiling & keeping time with the song through her hand.

This sweet sister's face was lit up with the joy of praising God.  She reminded me that singing out to our Lord is a privilege & a joy!  It's not just something we have to do to fill in time during worship.  It's also not something that we can use to complain about others, whether the song leader or those we hear who may not be singing "perfectly".  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching & admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, with thanksgiving in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

So I am determined to live this out:  Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!   I will praise the Lord as long as I live;  I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Psalm 146:1-2